Web supporting rollers



y 1969 R. v. EVANS ETAL 3,452,913

WEB SUPPORTING ROLLERS Filed Dec. 5, 1966 Sheet of :5

July 1, 1969 v, EVANS ETAL 3,452,913

WEB SUPPORTING ROLLERS Filed Dec. 5, 1966 Sheet 2 of s July 1, 1969 EV'ANS m I 3,452,913

WEB SUPPORTING ROLLERS Filed Dec. 5, 1966 Sheet 3 of 5 United States Patent U.S. Cl. 226-177 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to web supporting structures of a novel construction for controlling the tension on a web moving relative to the web supporting structure. The disclosure includes means for selectively displacing successive regions of the web supporting structure so as to vary the path of the moving web and thereby control the tension thereof.

The invention concerns web supporting structures and has particular reference to a flexible structure for use in the processing of textile and like webs.

In the processing of textile or like webs, for example a tufted carpet fabric, it is sometimes necessary to ensure that the material, as it is subjected to a treatment step, is in a controlled state whether flat or otherwise, even though such material, when free from tension, exhibits uncontrolled bowing or belling.

The object of the present invention is to provide a flexible guiding and supporting structure whereby a Web can be straightened as desired so as to present a material for treatment in a controlled state.

According to the present invention a web supporting structure is characterized by a flexible contact surface having successive regions which are controllable as to position in a direction normal to the surface.

In one arrangement the contact surface is defined by a roller the successive axial regions of which are displaceable by the application ofpressure thereto, whilst in another arrangement the said surface is defined by a flexible strip or strips, such strip or strips being positionally adjustable.

The invention also includes a web straightening device which includes a flexible structure as aforesaid, and the method of supporting a web during the feeding thereof so as to maintain a requisite tension at each position transversely of the web which comprises causing the said web to pass over a flexible contact surface having in the transverse direction of the web successive regions thereof controllable as to position normally of the web and controlling such position according to the tension existing in the corresponding region of the Web.

The invention will now be descrbied further, by way of example only, with reference to the diagrammatic drawings filed with the provisional specification which illustrates one embodiment thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a roller according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side-elevation of two such rollers as are shown in FIG. 1 forming part of a fabric coating means, and with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a further embodiment and in which:

FIG. 3 is a perspective end elevation, partly broken away, of a modified form of roller;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a further embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a typical transverse section of the arrangement shown in FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, a flexible roller comprises a rod member 11 extending axially of the roller, a first resilient sleeve member 12 disposed about such rod member as a close fit thereon, a second resilient sleeve member 13 co-axial with the first such member and in spaced disposition relative thereto, and bearing means 14 positioned between said first and second sleeve members and upon which said second sleeve member rotates relative to the first such member.

The rod member 11 will normally comprise a steel shaft non-rotatably mounted in appropriate supports (not shown) and of a requisite degree of flexibility, and the first and second sleeve members 12, 13 will be of rubber.

The bearing means 14 take the form of a plurality of ball or roller bearing units arranged at spaced intervals along the length of the roller, the inner race 14a of each such unit being supported on the first sleeve member 12 and the outer race 14b supporting the second sleeve member.

It will readily be apparent that a roller structure of the kind illustrated will be flexible in that the shaft can be distorted by an applied pressure, yet the roller will continue to function even in a distorted condition.

The primary purpose of such a roller as is shown in FIG. 1 is in accommodating belling or bowing of such as a carpet material in order that the material, when undergoing a treatment step, for example the application of a foam or a latex) backing thereto, can be offered to the treatment zone in a uniformly tensioned or in a flat state. By utilising the roller of FIG. 1 a uniform tension throughout the full width of the material or a stretching of the material to compensate for a bowing of the material can be attained by applying pressure to those parts of the roller which correspond to slack or bowed regions of the material, or to the regions which require to be stretched as appropriate, thus to distort the roller at these parts.

In one arrangement, especially suited for the application of a foam backing to a carpeting material, we propose to pass the material throgh the nip formed by and between two flexible rollers of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1, the said rollers each being provided with ad justable support rollers at spaced intervals therealong whereby an appropriate pressure is applied to the various regions of the associated flexible roller as determined by the character of the material under processing.

Thus, in FIG. 2 we show adjacent, parallel flexible rollers 21 through the nip between which a web 22 under processing passes, each said flexible roller 21 being provided with a plurality of adjustable support rollers 23 whereby a pressure might be applied thereto thus to effect deformation thereof. Rollers 24 are provided thus to support the web during its passage through a coating station 25, the web 22, subsequent to its passage through the roller nip moving onto a stenter chain (not shown) thus to be conveyed into a drying oven.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 may be attained by replacing the cylindrical rod member by a rod of noncircular cross section. Such a modified arrangement is shown in FIG. 3, and will be seen to comprise a plurality of bearing means arranged in adjacent disposition on a rod and supporting a sleeve in spaced disposition relative to the rod, a resilient material being interposed between the rod and the sleeve. The rod is of rectangular cross section and is of such dimensions as to be flexible in one direction but to be substantially rigid in a direction at right angles thereto. The rod will be capable of distortion in the direction of the lesser dimension thereof.

In a further embodiment see now FIGS. 4 and 5, a

web supporting structure comprises spaced parallel support strips 31 mounted relative to a framework 32, and adjustment means 33 whereby the said strips 31 are displaced locally to accommodate variations in the tension in a web (not shown).

The support strips 31 are approximately two and three quarter inches wide, one quarter inch thick and fifteen feet long, the strips being spaced apart by approximately two and one half inches and being secured together at intervals by a tie strip 34. At corresponding positions on the two strips and at intervals therealong rearwardly directed lugs 35 are provided, corresponding lugs having aligned through holes 36 therein to receive a respective pivot rod 37.

The support framework 32 comprises two spaced, inwardly facing channel members 32a, 32b maintained in the requisite disposition by tie rods 32c extending therebetween, and end pillars (not shown) upon which the channel members are supported.

The support strips 31 are mounted on the support framework 32,by mounting means 38 arranged at intervals along the structure, each such means comprising a slide 38a supported on corresponding tie rods 32c and freely movable therealong, and two push rods 38b arranged one at each end of the slide, the said push rods each engaging a respective guide block 32a secured to an outer face of the foremost channel member 32a and being secured at their forward ends, to the respective pivot rod 37. Whilst generally each push rod 38b will receive an end of the respective pivot rod 37 in an elongate slot in the end of the former thus to allow of a limited movement of the support strips transversely of the push rods at one position longitudinally of the strips the appropriate pivot rod is positively located relative to he ends of the associated push rods.

The adjustment means 33 comprises a screw 33a freely rotatably mounted by and between the opposed channel members 32a, 32b, a threaded boss 33b formed integrally with the slide 38a and with which the screw 33a is in engagement and a drive means 330 adapted to effect rotation of the screw and thus longitudinal adjustment of the push rods, Conveniently the drive means 33c consists of an electric motor 39 having a pinion gear 39a on the drive shaft 39b thereof, which pinion gear 39a is in mesh with a complementary pinion gear 39c keyed to the screw.

In operation, the push rods 38b are adjusted longitudinally according to the tensions in the web under processing, the adjustment preferably being effected automatically by a sensing means (not shown) acting on the web and which serves to control the motor 39 of the adjustment means. To compensate for a region of low tension in the web, so the flexible strips are caused to move outwardly relative to the framework over the appropriate section of the strips, whilst the strips are adjusted in the opposite direction if the tension in any part of the web is moderately high.

The invention is not restricted to the exact features of the arrangements before described since alternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the art. Thus for example, in some circumstances it may be sufficient to provide but a single flexible support surface, the adjustable support rollers acting on the flexible surface through the material under processing or not as desired.

Again, the manner in which the support surface is distorted may be varied and the control of the surface rendered automatic by the provision of a sensing means to detect tensions in the web, which sensing means adjusts the position of the appropriate support rollers to compensate for detected tension variations.

The materials from which the various parts are fabri' cated will be determined by the nature of the processing to be carried out. Thus, in the arrangement of FIG. 2, since a latex is being applied to one surface of the web, and since such surface comes into contact with one of the support surfaces, the surface of such surface will be coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. In other circumstances it may not be necessary to provide a coating.

What we claim is:

1. A web supporting roller comprising a resiliently flexible support rod, a plurality of bearing means mounted coaxially with the rod and distributed longitudinally thereof, a resilient sleeve arranged coaxial with said rod and disposed outwardly of said bearing means, said sleeve being supported on the bearing means and defining a flexible contact surface to the roller, and displacement means adapted individually to control the position of successive regions of the said surface in a direction normal thereto.

2. A web supporting roller as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rod is flexible in one transverse direction thereof and is substantially rigid in a second transverse direction inclined at thereto.

3. A web supporting roller as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rod is of rectangular transverse cross-section and is flexible in the direction of the inner dimension thereof.

4. A web supporting roller as claimed in claim 1 wherein a further resilient sleeve is interposed between said rod and said bearing means.

5. A web supporting roller as claimed in claim 1 wherein a further resilient sleeve is interposed between the bearing means and that sleeve which defines the sup- 7 port surface.

6. A web supporting roller as claimed in claim 1 fur ther comprising adjustment means adapted selectively to adjust the position of sections of said flexible contact surface.

7. A web supporting roller as claimed in claim 6 wherein said adjustment means includes a reciprocable element acting in a direction substantially normal to the contact surface.

8. A web supporting structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein the said adjustment means includes a screw and nut arrangement adapted, upon relative adjustment therebetween, to effect displacement of a part of the contact surface.

9. A web supporting roller as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two Web supporting structures are provided and are arranged in parallel adjacent disposition and are adapted to allow of the passage of a web therebetween,

and displacement means for each of said rollers adapted individually to control the position of successive regions of said surafce of each of said rollers in directions normal thereto.

10. A web supporting structure including a substantially continuous flexible contact surface disposed for contacting engagement with a web moving relative to said flexible contacting surface and displacement means associated with said flexible contact surface and being operable for individually displacing successive regions of said flexible contact surface and the web in a direction normal to said flexible contact surface such that said displacement means will displace said flexible contact surface for increasing or decreasing the tension in the web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,638,560 8/1927 Beveridge 226-199 X 1,938,447 12/1933 Cole 226199 X 3,106,365 10/1963 Karr 226-199 X 3,111,285 11/1963 Coker et a1. 226 X 3,170,576 2/1965 Frank 226191 X 3,276,652 10/1966 Conti 226-191 3,310,214 3/1967 Nesin 226--191 X ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primal Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

